Water motor for sprinklers



April 25, 1967 R. B. cosTA WATER MOTOR FOR SPRINKLERS INVENTOR. @0352? 5 C0574 BY f w 4rr0eA/Ey5 Filed April 5, 1965 United States Patent 3,315,898 WATER MOTOR FOR SPRINKLERS Robert 3. Costa, Covina, Calif, assignor to Lyhtone Engineering, Inc., Glendora, Calif, a corporation of California Filed Apr. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 445,543 Claims. (Cl. 239241) First, to provide a water motor for sprinklers which involves only two moving parts; namely, a driven shaft having impact receiving external faces, and a polygonal driving ring surrounding the shaft and having internal striker walls, the driving ring being rotated by water jets and its walls caused to strike the sides of the shaft so as to turn the shaft slowly in small increments.

Second, to provide a water motor for sprinklers which is particularly compact and is completely enclosed.

Third, to provide a water motor for sprinklers which may be adapted to drive various types of sprinklers, including riser and pop-up types.

With these and other objects in view, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through 11 of FIGURE 3 showing a sprinkler incorporating the water motor, the sprinkler being shown in its retracted position.

FIGURE 2 is also a longitudinal sectional view taken through 2-2 of FIGURE 3 showing the sprinkler in its extended position.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken through 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of driven shaft and drive ring only.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view similar to FIGURE 4, showing a further modified form of the driven shaft and drive ring.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the upper portion of a pop-up type sprinkler head arranged to be driven by the water motor.

Reference is first directed to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The water motor is enclosed in a housing 1, having an inlet 2 at its lower end for connection to a water supply pipe. Above the inlet is a cylinder or guide bore 3, the upper end of which communicates with a concentric cylindrical motor chamber 4 of larger diameter. At its lower portion the chamber 4 is provided with several bosses 5 which serve to support an annular bottom plate 6 secured thereto by secrews 6a. The bottom plate is provided with several peripheral inlets 6b formed by depressing portibns of the bottom plate so that water enters the motor chamber above the bottom plate in a tangential pattern. Below the bottom plate slots 6c communicate with the cylinder 3.

The cylinder 3 receives the lower end of a shaft 7 which is provided with a central bore 8 and extends upwardly through bottom plate 6 into the motor chamber. The main portion of the shaft is polygonal in cross section and forms an impact receiving portion 9 having side faces 10. In the construction illustrated, the impact receiving portion is triangular in cross section. At each corner the impact receiving portion 9 is provided with a rib 11.

The upper portion of the shaft is circular and is reduced in diameter to form a stem 12 having sprinkler orifices 13 in its upper extremity. The polygonal or impact receiving portion 9 is provided with inlet ports 14. The lower extremity of the shaft is provided with a guide ring 15 fitting the cylinder 3 and held in place by a retainer screw 16 having a small orifice 17 therethrough.

The upper extremity of the polygonal portion 9 at the base of the stem 12 supports a disk 18 slightly smaller in diameter than the motor chamber. A washer 19 is procient; that is, the grooves and ribs vided above the disk. The upper end of the motor chamber 4 is closed by a cover 20 screwthreaded or otherwise secured to the housing 1 and having an opening to receive the stem 12.

The motor chamber loosely receives a drive ring 21 having a polygonal opening therethrough, forming side walls 22. The drive ring opening has at least one more side than the polygonal portion 9 of the shaft 7, and formed at the corners joining the Walls are pivot channels 23. The drive ring, as illustrated, occupies about onehalf the axial length of the motor chamber to permit axial travel of the shaft; however, if, as in some uses of the water motor, no axial travel of the shaft is desired, the drive ring may occupy essentially the entire length of the motor chamber. Externally, the drive ring 21 is also polygonal, the walls being substantially uniform in thickness.

Operation of the water motor for sprinklers is as follows:

Water pressure applied under the guide ring 15 raises the shaft from the position shown in FIGURE 1 to the position shown in FIGURE 2. Some water, depending on the size of the orifice 17 flows upwardly through the bore 8. A predetermined proportion flows through the passages 6c and discharges from the ports 6b creating a rotating mass of water in the motor chamber which causes rotation of the drive ring. Rotation of the drive ring is intermittent; that is, the grooves 23 in the corners of the drive ring 21 pivot in succession about the ribs 11 until succeeding corners of the drive ring impact against succeeding corners of the shaft. Each impact causes a slight turning movement of the shaft 7. The impacts occur in rapid succession so that it seems as if the shaft is rotating continuously as it slowly turns. In fact, a substantial speed reduction is obtained between the average rate of rotation of the drive ring 21 and the average rate of rotation of the shaft 7.

While the corners of the shaft are shown with ribs 11 and the corners of the drive ring have grooves or channels 23, it should be understood that if they were eliminated, a drive connection between the rotor and shaft would still remain, but the operation would be less effiprovide for more precise pivotal movement, It will be noted that the ribs 11 may be high enough to provide a wedge-like clearance space between confronting sides of the shaft and rotor. This provides maximum impact; however, if the ribs are of lesser dimension so that the sides may engage flatwise, the rotor and shaft continue to function effectively.

Reference is now directed to FIGURE 4. While, in the first described structure, a triangular shaft and a quadrilateral drive ring are illustrated, the drive shaft may be provided with two opposed projections 24 forming curved side faces 25 joined by curved ends of small radius. In this case, the drive ring 26 is preferably triangular; however, a'four-sided drive ring may be used. Operation is essentially the same as in the first described structure.

Reference is now directed to FIGURE 5, wherein the polygonal portion 27 of the shaft is preferably four-sided and the drive ring 28 is five-sided; however, a three-sided shaft may be used. Within limits, the drive ring may have any desired number of striker walls, but in any case, it should have at least one more striker wall than the number of sides of the impact receiving portion of the shaft.

Reference is now directed to FIGURE 6, which illustrates a modification wherein the water motor drives a pop-up type of sprinkler. In this case, the housing 1 is provided with an upwardly directed, enlarged extension 29 and the motor chamber is closed by a cover disk 30 through which the stem '12 extends. The upper end of the stem is modified to provide screwthreads for attachment to a conventional type of sprinkler head 31. A cover plate 32 is carried by the sprinkler head to close the housing extension when the sprinkler head is retracted.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it is not intended to limit the same to the details of the constructions set forth, but instead, the invention embraces such changes, modifications and equivalents of the various parts and their relationships as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A water motor for sprinklers, comprising:

(a) a drive ring having a polygonal opening therethrough forming a plurality of striker regions;

(b) a driven shaft extending through said drive ring and including an impact receiving portion having at least one less impact receiving region than the striker regions of the polygonal opening through said drive ring;

(c) and means for rotating said drive ring about said shaft to cause said striker regions to strike said impact receiving regions and effect incremental advance of said shaft about its axis.

2. A water motor for sprinklers, comprising:

(a) a housing having a closed cylindrical chamber and at least one tangential port communicating therewith;

(b) a rotatable driven shaft extending axially through said chamber, said shaft having an outlet at one end and an inlet port within said chamber;

(c) said shaft having a polygonal portion within said chamber forming on each side an impact receiving region;

(d) and a drive ring loosely received within said chamber and rotatable by a water jet issuing from said tangential port;

(e) said drive ring having a polygonal opening therethrough loosely receiving the polygonal portion of said shaft and containing at least one more side wall than the sides of said shaft, each wall including a striker region, said striker regions on rotation of said drive ring, progressively striking said impact receiving regions to effect incremental advance of said shaft about its axis.

3. A water motor for sprinklers, comprising:

(a) a housing having a closed cylindrical chamber and at least one tangential port communicating therewith;

(b) a drive ring loosely received in said motor chamber and rotatable by a water jet issuing from said port, said drive ring having a polygonal opening therethrough forming walls and pivot corners therebetween;

(c) a shaft extending through said drive ring having an outlet at one end externally of said motor chamber and an inlet communicating with said motor chamber;

(d) said shaft having at least one less side than the number of walls of said drive ring, and pivot elements connecting said sides, said sides and walls being essentially equal in width, and said pivot corners progressively pivotatble about said pivot elements on rotation of said drive ring, to cause progressive im- 4 pact of said drive ring against said shaft as said drive ring rotates thereby to cause incremental advance of said shaft about its axis.

4. A water motor for sprinklers, comprising:

(a) a housing having a central bore, an enlarged motor chamber at the upper end thereof, and at least one passage extending from said bore to said motor chamber and terminating in a tangentially disposed port;

(b) a drive ring loosely received in said motor chamber and rotatable by a water jet issuing from said port, said drive ring having a polygonal opening therethrough forming a plurality of walls;

(c) and a rotatable shaft including a piston portion at its lower end fitting said bore, a stem protruding from its upper end and extending beyond said motor chamber, and an impact receiving portion within said motor chamber, said shaft being axially movable in response to water pressure in said bore to extend said stem and having an inlet communicating with said motor chamber and an outlet at the upper end of said stem;

(d) said impact receiving portion being loosely received in said drive ring and having at least one less side than the number of walls of said drive ring, said drive ring being progressively engageable with said impact receiving portion, thereby to effect incremental advance of said shaft about its axis.

5. A water motor for sprinklers, comprising:

(a) a housing having a central bore, an enlarged motor chamber at the upper end thereof, and at least one passage extending from said bore to said motor chamber and terminating in a tangentially disposed P (b) a drive ring loosely received in said motor chamber and rotatable by a water jet issuing from said port, said ring having a polygonal opening therethrough forming a plurality of walls and pivot corners therebetween;

(c) and a rotatable shaft including a piston portion at its lower end fitting said bore, a stem protruding from its upper end and extending beyond said motor chamber, and an impact receiving portion with-in said motor chamber, said shaft being axially movable in response to water pressure in said bore to extend said stem and having an inlet communicating with said motor chamber and an outlet at the upper end of said stem;

(d) said impact receiving portion having one less side than the walls of said drive ring, and pivot elements connect-ing said sides for coaction with said pivot corners, said sides and walls being essentially equal in width, and said pivot corners progressively pivotable about said pivot elements on rotation of said drive ring, to cause progressive impact of said drive ring against said shaft thereby to cause incremental advance of said shaft about its axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,221,878 11/1940 Nelson 239-240 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A WATER MOTOR FOR SPRINKLERS, COMPRISING: (A) A DRIVE RING HAVING A POLYGONAL OPENING THERETHROUGH FORMING A PLURALITY OF STRIKER REGIONS; (B) A DRIVEN SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID DRIVE RING AND INCLUDING AN IMPACT RECEIVING PORTION HAVING AT LEAST ONE LESS IMPACT RECEIVING REGION THAN THE STRIKER REGIONS OF THE POLYGONAL OPENING THROUGH SAID DRIVE RING; (C) AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DRIVE RING ABOUT SAID SHAFT TO CAUSE SAID STRIKER REGIONS TO STRIKE SAID IMPACT RECEIVING REGIONS AND EFFECT INCREMENTAL ADVANCE OF SAID SHAFT ABOUT ITS AXIS. 